eliotness

Simple, all the government needs to do is point to the UK, the "cradle of democracy" who have had an unelected House of Lords for hundreds of years. Not as powerful now as it was in the not too distant past, but still there none the less.

The authority of the House of Lords is very restrictive compared to the proposed Thai Senate. Note also that the UK doesn't have a single constitutional document and yet, manages not ever to have had a military coup since the Magna Charter in 1215! Just no comparison between the UK and proposed Thai forms of government. Do the research please.

So what do you call Cromwell's action in sending in the soldiers to close the House of Commons ? In the recent past the House of Lords had significant veto powers. It is only since WW2 that things have changed. It's just that Thailand is a few hundred years behind.

Simple, all the government needs to do is point to the UK, the "cradle of democracy" who have had an unelected House of Lords for hundreds of years. Not as powerful now as it was in the not too distant past, but still there none the less.

This Is Thailand and the standards of right and wrong are not respected over personal views in quite the same way as per say the UK.

Nevertheless it's still a way for "the elite", be they Eton old boys or champagne socialists to ensure the status quo continues.

Simple, all the government needs to do is point to the UK, the "cradle of democracy" who have had an unelected House of Lords for hundreds of years. Not as powerful now as it was in the not too distant past, but still there none the less.

The current result of over 92 percent of the voters showing the confidence they have in the abilities of Thais makes a gloomy reading.

I am confident that not all is lost and that change might be even liberating. But before removing foreign teachers I would start with teaching material that is used in schools to teach English. Some of the books handed to our children dont deserve to be sold and actually should be banned from being used in our schools. It should be the foreign teachers that explain to the people responsible for the purchase of English books why these books are unacceptable as standard teaching books.

Absolutely spot-on. At my school there are text books for levels 1,2 and 4. These books are way too advanced for children in a rural school. Even the level 1 book can't be understood by most kids in level 6. There are books back in England for junior school kids which would be more suitable for senior school here.

Hottest year in Isaan since they started record keeping and very little rain this year.

So when do you think they started keeping accurate records in Isaan ?

El Nino is particularly extreme this year due to Global Warming. Thailand forecast is droughts and heatwave conditions. Hot and getting hotter. Drought warning has already been issued for Thailand.

"the world is always in a constant change. Impermanence is permanence." Yes, over thousands of years climates gradually change. Not over 50 to 100 years. That would be unprecedented.

"More concrete, fewer trees?" No effect, unless someone has started concreting the Oceans.

"Or as you said, an outlyingly hot year." Yes it is going to be a hot year globally due to El Nino and Global Warming. Over the past 50 years the Earth has warmed by 1.7^OC by the end of this century it is expected to warm between 6-8^OC. Not many people will be living in Bangkok. It will have sunk by then.

OK so you think deforestation has no effect and concrete manufacture doesn't release pollutants +CO 2, big statement, but up 2 u.

Only passed to be able to call up to that number; not actually doing so nor are they likely to be all called at the same time, unless there is something brewing that none of us are aware of?? !!!

I think we are all aware of an up-coming event that will require more troops on the streets ensuring an outcome the elite want.

Got stung by DHL and Thai customs big style. Not only did they charge an enormous "customs charge" that was much more than the value of the contents + shipping, but they kindly removed all the bubble wrap that I'd put around fragile items. So not only did the box arrive 1 month late but all the fragile items were smashed.

Has one of the new super fast-tracked EIAs been applied in this case ? Holding the "public" meeting in an army camp just says so much. Someone in the elite club obviously stands to make a lot of money.

It's called NIMBY.

Looks like we've gone from Spitting Image to Monty Pythons Flying Circus. I'm now waiting for Kermit and Miss Piggy to emerge, but we might see a Basil Fawlty soon !!!!!!!

Rather than a minimum daily rate, it would make much more sense to lay down an hourly rate. E.g. here in Isaan getting workers on the farm, 7:30 start, eat rice first, drink 1 or 2 Lao Khaos, actually start 8:30 to 9. Break for lunch at 12, more Lao Khao, sit chatting, start again 2 pm finish 4:30 or 5:30 if seriously pushed and a good meal and drinks promised. Actually not an 8 hour day of work, plus the expense of buying food and drink !

In fairness the neighbours operate a "you help me and I'll help you" system which works well, but if you need extra hands 350 baht per day is far too much for what work is actually done.

350B per day is too much??? That's just over 5 pounds a day!!!

That's what's wrong with this country. Everyone likes to complain about the the gap between the rich and poor but then comes out with statements like this!

Big business owners have had it far too easy over here for a long time. In the UK you can now buy many things cheaper than you can here, and no I'm not talking about luxury items but even basic vegetables.

The big companies make so much money because of the tiny wages they can pay. If they want to charge comparable or more than is charged in the UK then they should pay comparable wages.

1000B per day should be the minimum, then at least some of the poorer families will see a real benefit. Don't worry, the rich business owners will still be rich!

Maybe then the (more physically challenged) Thais will get off their arse and do a proper days work.

In 2010 we paid 200 baht per day to harvest the cassava and got 3.50 per kilo, so we made a good profit. Last year everyone wanted 300 baht a day, but the price had fallen to 2.10 baht a kilo, so we just about broke even. If next time we have to pay 350+ baht and if the market price for the cassava hasn't risen, then we'll make a loss. Farming economics are the same all over the world, that's why the EU & USA have farming subsidies.

If you are forced to pay e.g. 1000 baht/day, then the unemployment rate will mushroom overnight. Only family worked farms will survive. Millions will have no seasonal work. All the farmers in debt will have to sell their farms to the "big boys" who can afford to run highly mechanised farms, will a small labour force. So your solution, however well intended, would kill rural Thailand.

Just watched today a English teaching channel on DLTV, you'd expect everything to be correct, but NO, they even got a noun down as an adjective. Either they have a really serious problem or the farang proof reader needs to be sacked.

[smirk] I think you mean "an" English teaching channel...........

And I think you mean an English-teaching channel - a channel that teaches English, as opposed to an English one that teaches ...

Sorry, you are of course correct, "an English-teaching channel". The actual word in question was " chill ". The Thai teacher was trying to teach how to say what the weather is like today. So the phrase she used was "it is chill" rather than "it is chilly".

Yeah OK guys, nit picking and boring I realise, but I was having a particularly boring afternoon and it appears I was not alone.

So where does all that money go ? And who's the auditor ?

i fail to see the issue, it is not often you get more that you paid for.

It seems they actually raised the price this year, so mileage wise same same.

Just watched today a English teaching channel on DLTV, you'd expect everything to be correct, but NO, they even got a noun down as an adjective. Either they have a really serious problem or the farang proof reader needs to be sacked.

Rather than a minimum daily rate, it would make much more sense to lay down an hourly rate. E.g. here in Isaan getting workers on the farm, 7:30 start, eat rice first, drink 1 or 2 Lao Khaos, actually start 8:30 to 9. Break for lunch at 12, more Lao Khao, sit chatting, start again 2 pm finish 4:30 or 5:30 if seriously pushed and a good meal and drinks promised. Actually not an 8 hour day of work, plus the expense of buying food and drink !

In fairness the neighbours operate a "you help me and I'll help you" system which works well, but if you need extra hands 350 baht per day is far too much for what work is actually done.

Oh I wish Spitting Image would appear in Thailand. Can you imagine what fun they would have with the "float away" statement !!!

Electric vehicles are much more efficient than internal combustion vehicles. Yes they still do use energy that can come fossil fuels but the pollution can be taken care of in bulk at the power plants.

Agreed, but the important thing is "the pollution can be taken care of in bulk", remember this is Thailand not Western Europe.

Sorry if I missed it in the article, but where will the coal come from ?

Thailand has coal mines in the north. Thai companies also own coal mines in Indonesia and China (and possibly elsewhere).

Thanks for the info, but it seems your info is slightly dated as all the major mines have recently closed due to depletion of resources, ie the coals running out. The companies involved are, as you say involved in mines in Indonesia and China and recently Laos and Australia. So I guess they are rather more "multinationals" than Thai.

But whatever their ownership nationality it means virtually all coal will need to be imported, that's surely a double whammy in anyone's book. Not a smart move Mr PM sir.

Are you sure?

According to the 2010 BP Statistical Energy Survey, Thailand had end 2009 coal reserves of 1354 million tonnes, 0.16% of the world total.

http://www.mbendi.com/indy/ming/coal/as/th/p0005.htm

Thailand is a significant producer of lignite, which is used almost exclusively for power generation. Total national lignite production is around 21 Mt/y. The country currently also imports some 5-6 Mt/y of bituminous coal and some coke for industrial use. The 2,400 MW lignite-fired Mae Moh power plant is the largest source of electricity in the country, generating around 13% of Thailands electric power production, and also one of the largest point sources of atmospheric pollution in Southeast Asia. The total cost of the project has been estimated at US$1.3 billion, and US$1.1 billion has been received in debt financing from a consortium of financing institutions. Construction began during 2003 and is scheduled for completion in 2006. The project will rely on imported coal. Banpu's mines in Thailand and Indonesia currently have a combined capacity to produce 14.5 Mt/y, with a reserve base of 170 Mt and resources of 139 Mt.

I googled "coal in thailand" and I got onto the BANPU web site and it stated that their mining operations in Thailand had ceased. The web page is dated 2015 so therefore is up to date.

there is no reason why coal is any worse than other fuels. ok nat gas is less polluting than other fossil fuels. However it still produces co2, methane the major component of nat gas is one of the worst greenhouse gases.on a $ to $ basis, coal fired may well be cheaperthe emissions made in constructing any of these plants is massive, just as nuclear produces significant co2 emissions in its construction, wind you've got to look at the construction and life cycle, simialrly solar, are they haeavy metals photovoltaics? how much energy is reqruied to process that silicon? how long before you get returns on that energy/co2 cost in processing silicon? how easy do they break?

A good post, but I'd like to add a few points, if I may. The emissions from the burning of coal include many other chemicals apart from CO2 and H2O, such as SOx and NOx (which cause acid rain) and also particulate matter (smoke). Natural gas doesn't produce as much of these, but it doesn't always give a "clean burn". CH4 is also present in coal, hence the risk of fire and explosion in coal mines. Opencast mining removes that problem by simply letting any volatile or gaseous carbon compounds vent to the atmosphere. Burning natural gas captures all volatiles and gases therein and (hopefully) ensures a complete burn, so CH4 release should not really happen.

Also in all of these processes the need to consider waste disposal is important. The cost with nuclear is huge, coal produces ash, the quantity depending on the quality of coal burnt. No one has yet fully estimated the disposal cost associated with wind power, especially for the huge off-shore windfarms recently built (where recycling may be difficult) and their life-spans. Similar problems may arise with solar cells and again a robust recycling regime has yet to be decided by governments.

I guess the terrorists actually did the G20 leaders a favour. They can quickly pass over the climate change problem as now there is a much more urgent thing they can focus on and the public will forgive their ducking the question.

Is it just me ,or does "the overall salary increase in 2016 is forecasted at 5.8%, up slightly from 5.8% this year" seem nonsense as both figures are identical, so how is it "up"? Obviously they are either talking crap or the paper is in desperate need of a proof-reader.

That apart, these bonuses seem to be huge, or is that the norm in economically challenged Thailand ?

It can be a good thing for the economy and for the rest of the industry/country. Look at Sweden, a country with 9 million people, has not been at war sin 1814 (yes that's right 1814!!!) unless you count UN participation and is in the top 10 of weapons exporting countries in the world!

However a substantial number of Swedes fought for the Finns against the Soviets, with even several thousand volunteering for the Wiking Division of the Waffen SS. Following the end of WW2 Sweden was on the front line of the Cold War without wishing to be subservient to the USA. Sweden has always been a leader in world science and engineering, e.g. Nobel and his explosives. To compare Thailand with Sweden is paying the greatest disrespect to Swedish science and engineering (SAAB, VOLVO BOFORS etc etc). Thailand could never in a million years achieve the Swedish level of science and engineering, however it is such a pity that great talent is spent producing weapons of war.

Yes, Swedish people where fighting in Finland against the USSR and some joined the Nazis in Germany but Sweden as c country has not been at war sins 1814.

During the cold war Sweden even had its own nuclear program but it became to expensive and most Swedish people did not agree that Sweden should have nuclear weapons. But Thanks to ASEA that became a part of ABB, Sweden has been a part of the development of nuclear reactors. And thanks to Ericson we got things like NMT and GSM as they where the company that did set those standards. SAAB started as an airplane manufacturer and then moved on to make cars, today the car production is gone but they still produce airplanes and weapons because sadly we still need weapons because of all unrest around the globe.

I come from a town of 70,000 that relies totally on producing weapons and has done since before WW1. While I have pride in those weapons I deeply regret that we still live in a world where they are needed, albeit now for use as a detterent. However, for a country to proudly boast that although it hasn't fought a war since 1814 but is now number 10 in world arms sales, I find somewhat strange.

It can be a good thing for the economy and for the rest of the industry/country. Look at Sweden, a country with 9 million people, has not been at war sin 1814 (yes that's right 1814!!!) unless you count UN participation and is in the top 10 of weapons exporting countries in the world!

However a substantial number of Swedes fought for the Finns against the Soviets, with even several thousand volunteering for the Wiking Division of the Waffen SS. Following the end of WW2 Sweden was on the front line of the Cold War without wishing to be subservient to the USA. Sweden has always been a leader in world science and engineering, e.g. Nobel and his explosives. To compare Thailand with Sweden is paying the greatest disrespect to Swedish science and engineering (SAAB, VOLVO BOFORS etc etc). Thailand could never in a million years achieve the Swedish level of science and engineering, however it is such a pity that great talent is spent producing weapons of war.

Yes, Swedish people where fighting in Finland against the USSR and some joined the Nazis in Germany but Sweden as c country has not been at war sins 1814.

During the cold war Sweden even had its own nuclear program but it became to expensive and most Swedish people did not agree that Sweden should have nuclear weapons. But Thanks to ASEA that became a part of ABB, Sweden has been a part of the development of nuclear reactors. And thanks to Ericson we got things like NMT and GSM as they where the company that did set those standards. SAAB started as an airplane manufacturer and then moved on to make cars, today the car production is gone but they still produce airplanes and weapons because sadly we still need weapons because of all unrest around the globe.

I come from a town of 70,000 that relies totally on producing weapons and has done since before WW1. While I have pride in those weapons I deeply regret that we still live in a world where they are needed, albeit now for use as a detterent. However, for a country to proudly boast that although it hasn't fought a war since 1814 but is now number 10 in world arms sales, I find somewhat strange.